Working with moxa.
What is moxa? Moxa is the dried, powdered leaf of artemisia or mugwort. It comes in two forms: loose powder and the moxa stick (pictured). In this case, you light the stick like a cigar and it gets very hot and you hold it at least 3-4 cm away from the skin surface and over the acupressure points you want to work with for 3-5 minutes.
Benefits: Moxa is very effective for moving and dispersing Cold, Damp and Stagnation in the body and for tonifying Ki and Yang deficiency (eg Kidney Yang deficiency).
NOTE: Moxa can be helpful as long as there are no signs of Heat in the body Eg. high fever, or High Blood Pressure.
Moxa can also benefit the following conditions: Lower back pain (where movement helps); menstrual pain; and shoulder pain (from Wind invasion - cold draught).
The warmth of moxa penetrates and warms the meridians and can feel very soothing and comforting.☺️
As Shiatsu practitioners with a knowledge and interest in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and the Meridian system, we learn how to work with moxa and apply it safely to relevant meridian points.
